The Nøkken

It must have only been twenty minutes into the walk when you hear it. It's a melody that halts your body like a spell, a voice so inhumanely flawless it brings tears to your eyes, coming from the water. Fear and adrenaline fail to develop, and so you feel nothing but calm as you turn to face the source of the song. The words are ancient, their power resonating into your very bones, tangled with desperation and promise. A man, half inside the water, back and head covered in the green moss that clings against the rocks and trees holds out his hand to you, mouth quirked into a lusty half smile. His eyes shimmer different colors like opals, shifting from green to blue to violet by the slightest twist of your neck.